HOW TO SPEND 7 DAYS IN AMSTERDAM

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I recently spent a whirlwind few days exploring Amsterdam and fell in love with its colorful house-lined canals, cute cafés, and fascinating history. My husband and I travel to a new place each year for our anniversary; this year, we decided on the “Venice of the North” and it did not disappoint. – Munk Pack Explorer @brittanyexplores

The city itself was way more spread out than I had imagined. We explored mainly on foot, but also by train, ferry, tram, and even canal boat. I was surprised to find out that the canals that characterize Amsterdam aren’t just a section of the city, they actually make up the entire city and wind around for miles.

Highlights of our trip included, (but are not limited to!):

– THE PANCAKES. Forget everything you know about pancakes. Dutch pancakes are delectable, as are their dessert cousin, stroopwaffels.

– THE VAN GOGH MUSEUM. Get tickets beforehand for the earliest slot of the day and you can be one of the first people inside, which allows you to soak in the artwork without obstruction or distraction. Seeing such well-known art right in front of my face was even more impressive than I’d imagined.

– ZAANSE SCHANS. About a 20 minute train ride outside of Amsterdam, Zaanse Schans is a preserved historic windmill village, and the windmills are still in use! It gives you a glance into Dutch history and is the perfect place to spend an afternoon away from the city.

– VONDELPARK. Strolling through the park on a sunny day was beautiful, but you can also explore by bike if you’d like.

– OEDIPUS BREWING. Taking the ferry over to Amsterdam-Noord to check out Oedipus Brewing, which has a lively taproom and delicious craft beers.

– CANAL CRUISE BOAT TOUR. We always do a touristy bus or boat tour when traveling because it turns out to be the best way sightsee while being informed on the history of the city.

– THE ANNE FRANK HOUSE. It feels a little weird to say that this one was SO cool, but it really was. It was extremely surreal to be in the famous Annex where Anne’s family was in hiding during the war. We were also able to learn more about her story, as well as about Amsterdam at that time.

– THE JORDAAN. This was my favorite neighborhood of Amsterdam. It has the most picturesque canals, lined with restaurants and cafés, as well as lots of unique shops and galleries. Grab a beer on the water’s edge, observe the boaters and bicyclists constantly cruising by, then go for some pizza at La Perla!